GAS ATTACK- Who's the VOX aficionado? And Gretch too!

[galaxiex]

I have an AC15 (hand-wired series) with the Blue. It is loud as balls. I really like mine, although I have yet to modify it from stock. 15W on a single 12" speaker should be plenty for any band rehearsal / club gig / studio recording.

The other guitar played in our band has that exact amp, and it really is...loud as balls!
He even plays it in half power mode most of the time, and we still have to tell him to turn down sometimes.
'course our rehearsal place is quite small but even so... it will easily cut through at a small to medium size venue.

[blearyeyes]

I don't know about you guys but my Balls have been kinda quite lately.   BA DUM SPlat.

That's good information and it should keep my GAS down to a roar.

But Dad, the AC30CX has a sexy purple face plate. 

[blearyeyes]

I have an AC15 (hand-wired series) with the Blue. It is loud as balls. I really like mine, although I have yet to modify it from stock. 15W on a single 12" speaker should be plenty for any band rehearsal / club gig / studio recording.

OK Brian, you just upped the stakes with the hand wired series.
Sheesh dude they are beautiful. You're killing me.
Did you buy it new?

It's an awful thing when your GAS surpasses your Cash.

[Timko]

I have a heavily modified Gretsch 5120 (the single cutout Electromatics that were made before the 5420).  I swapped the pickups out for a pair of Filtertrons off of a pro line Duo Jet.  The pickups on the one you posted are more standard humbuckers than the Filtertrons.  They're often referred to a Gretschbuckers, and while they sound good, they don't have the same sparkle, spank, and growl combination that make that "Great Gretsch Sound."  This is an easy change if you decide to go that route, and there's some great companies that make aftermarket pickups (TV Jones!!!).  I also rewired the whole thing, and added a 2 pole, 6 way rotary switch as a Veritone in place of the standard tone knob.  Oh, it's got a treble bleed on the master volume.

I love my guitar.  I cycle through a lot of different ones (mostly semi hollows of some sort of another), but this thing gets played weekly.  I'll get super jazzy with it through my Ampeg Rocket, or drive it through a DR, or put all sorts of pedal goodness on it and just have at it.  Necks on Electromatics are a thinner and wider than most electrics (not like an SG though), so that's one thing to keep in mind.  Hollow bodies in general are (obviously) bigger, thicker instruments with big bouts (16" in this case), and that turns some people off.  They also have a higher break angle on the strings with the floating bridge, so your hand either rests on the bridge or floats a lot higher off the body of the guitar.  None of these are negatives, but those are the things that often keep people from buying a Gretsch. 

I'll try to post some pictures of mine later this evening.  Good luck!

p.s.  I have owned an AC15 at one point with this instrument.  It sounded great too, especially with the Gretsch, but I traded it with the plan of buying a handwired (or building a handwired one).

[Timko]

That gretsch looks great! I say go for it. You might want to changing the bridge. Apparently most (maybe all) of the newer ones have bridges that are a different radius than the fretboard. My brother put a Compton bridge on his and said it made a world of difference in playability.

+1 on the Compton!!!!  I've got one on mine and love it.  Tru-Arc also makes great aftermarket solid bar bridges for Gretsches.

[blearyeyes]

I swapped the pickups out for a pair of Filtertrons off of a pro line Duo Jet.  The pickups on the one you posted are more standard humbuckers than the Filtertrons.  They're often referred to a Gretschbuckers, and while they sound good, they don't have the same sparkle, spank, and growl combination that make that "Great Gretsch Sound."  This is an easy change if you decide to go that route, and there's some great companies that make aftermarket pickups (TV Jones!!!).  I also rewired the whole thing, and added a 2 pole, 6 way rotary switch as a Veritone in place of the standard tone knob.  Oh, it's got a treble bleed on the master volume.

I'll try to post some pictures of mine later this evening.  Good luck!

p.s.  I have owned an AC15 at one point with this instrument.  It sounded great too, especially with the Gretsch, but I traded it with the plan of buying a handwired (or building a handwired one).

I was looking at the pro line duo jet. It had tvJones filtrons on it. unfortunately it's $2500 US.
I'll check out TV jones pickups for this puppy...

[matmosphere]

I swapped the pickups out for a pair of Filtertrons off of a pro line Duo Jet.  The pickups on the one you posted are more standard humbuckers than the Filtertrons.  They're often referred to a Gretschbuckers, and while they sound good, they don't have the same sparkle, spank, and growl combination that make that "Great Gretsch Sound."  This is an easy change if you decide to go that route, and there's some great companies that make aftermarket pickups (TV Jones!!!).  I also rewired the whole thing, and added a 2 pole, 6 way rotary switch as a Veritone in place of the standard tone knob.  Oh, it's got a treble bleed on the master volume.

I'll try to post some pictures of mine later this evening.  Good luck!

p.s.  I have owned an AC15 at one point with this instrument.  It sounded great too, especially with the Gretsch, but I traded it with the plan of buying a handwired (or building a handwired one).

I was looking at the pro line duo jet. It had tvJones filtrons on it. unfortunately it's $2500 US.
I'll check out TV jones pickups for this puppy...

A friend of mine has one of those, the teardrop f-holes are kinda nice looking but they don't quiet have the classic Gretsch vibe. It's a cool guitar though. The pickups are alright but the TV Jones would be a worthwhile upgrade.

[blearyeyes]

Pulled the trigger:

Vox hand wired AC15CX w/ Celestion Blue

Gretsch G5620T-CB Electromatic Center-Block - Georgia Green

Have them looking into TVJones pickups which will be the icing on the cake.

What a wealth of knowledge. You guys are awesome.



If we all put our minds together.....WE HAVE A BRAIN!

[Timko]

I swapped the pickups out for a pair of Filtertrons off of a pro line Duo Jet.  The pickups on the one you posted are more standard humbuckers than the Filtertrons.  They're often referred to a Gretschbuckers, and while they sound good, they don't have the same sparkle, spank, and growl combination that make that "Great Gretsch Sound."  This is an easy change if you decide to go that route, and there's some great companies that make aftermarket pickups (TV Jones!!!).  I also rewired the whole thing, and added a 2 pole, 6 way rotary switch as a Veritone in place of the standard tone knob.  Oh, it's got a treble bleed on the master volume.

I'll try to post some pictures of mine later this evening.  Good luck!

p.s.  I have owned an AC15 at one point with this instrument.  It sounded great too, especially with the Gretsch, but I traded it with the plan of buying a handwired (or building a handwired one).

I was looking at the pro line duo jet. It had tvJones filtrons on it. unfortunately it's $2500 US.
I'll check out TV jones pickups for this puppy...

I would recommend looking at the 2 big Gretsch forums for good deals too:

http://www.gretsch-talk.com/
http://gretschpages.com/forum/

I got my pickups on there for around $100 for the pair shipped to me.  You just missed someone selling an orange 5120 (my guitar) with TV Jones Classics, a bar bridge, sanded down bigsby (so it looks like the vintage ones), new electronics, dice knobs (a Brian Setzer mod), and new premium tuners for $650.

[Timko]

Pulled the trigger:

Vox hand wired AC15CX w/ Celestion Blue

Gretsch G5620T-CB Electromatic Center-Block - Georgia Green

Have them looking into TVJones pickups which will be the icing on the cake.

What a wealth of knowledge. You guys are awesome.



If we all put our minds together.....WE HAVE A BRAIN!

Nice work!  BTW, now that you're a Gretsch player, you'll eventually want to buy (or build) a DynoBrain.  It's based on the Roland Space Echo.  Setzer uses the Roland, a Gretsch, and a blond '63 Bassman and a 50' cable.  The Dino gives the rig a little extra drive that blooms.  I looked up the circuit; it's less than 10 parts to build.  But you'll love having it.

[blearyeyes]

I swapped the pickups out for a pair of Filtertrons off of a pro line Duo Jet.  The pickups on the one you posted are more standard humbuckers than the Filtertrons.  They're often referred to a Gretschbuckers, and while they sound good, they don't have the same sparkle, spank, and growl combination that make that "Great Gretsch Sound."  This is an easy change if you decide to go that route, and there's some great companies that make aftermarket pickups (TV Jones!!!).  I also rewired the whole thing, and added a 2 pole, 6 way rotary switch as a Veritone in place of the standard tone knob.  Oh, it's got a treble bleed on the master volume.

I'll try to post some pictures of mine later this evening.  Good luck!

p.s.  I have owned an AC15 at one point with this instrument.  It sounded great too, especially with the Gretsch, but I traded it with the plan of buying a handwired (or building a handwired one).

I was looking at the pro line duo jet. It had tvJones filtrons on it. unfortunately it's $2500 US.
I'll check out TV jones pickups for this puppy...

I would recommend looking at the 2 big Gretsch forums for good deals too:

http://www.gretsch-talk.com/
http://gretschpages.com/forum/

I got my pickups on there for around $100 for the pair shipped to me.  You just missed someone selling an orange 5120 (my guitar) with TV Jones Classics, a bar bridge, sanded down bigsby (so it looks like the vintage ones), new electronics, dice knobs (a Brian Setzer mod), and new premium tuners for $650.

I'll check it out. I had to use credit [36mo same as cash at Sweetwater] because I'm doing this as a "Screw the world" I'm broke, wounded and my girlfriend left me, kick em while their down! But I will overcome all obstacles! Kinda move. (God willing)
The pickups and further GAS for cash will occur!

[blearyeyes]

Is there something wrong with a Nato neck?

I am unfamiliar with that wood. Are they not stable?

I don't think it would be a issue. I researched NATO wood and it is similar to Indian Mahogany but doesn't look as nice. Lots of mahogany necks. They are more flexible than hardwood. NATO is a cheap alternative.. Should be fine. Maple is harder so it's basically brighter.

[galaxiex]

Is there something wrong with a Nato neck?

I am unfamiliar with that wood. Are they not stable?

I don't think it would be a issue. I researched NATO wood and it is similar to Indian Mahogany but doesn't look as nice. Lots of mahogany necks. They are more flexible than hardwood. NATO is a cheap alternative.. Should be fine. Maple is harder so it's basically brighter.

Thanks!

I have an ongoing GAS collection of cheap Japanese (Silvertone Teisco etc) "budget" student guitars from the 60's-70's and many have what *looks* like mahogany necks. I suppose they could be almost anything tho, even Nato, it's so hard to tell just by looking.

Sorry, don't mean to derail the thread.
Carry on 

[madbean]

OK Brian, you just upped the stakes with the hand wired series.
Sheesh dude they are beautiful. You're killing me.
Did you buy it new?

It's an awful thing when your GAS surpasses your Cash.

I got the v.1 of the hand-wired. I bought it new for about $500 under retail. I think the newer version has a master volume and some other stuff.

[gordo]

The one I played had a master. Even with 15 watts it would have leveled the first few rows. I'd love to get a Rocket. I recapped and tubed one years ago and played it on the bench for hours. By the time the guy got it back the next day the tubes were well burned in :-)  Every amp should have an "accordion" input...